As we just celebrated Pentecost last Sunday, we have been paying particular attention to the way the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives. Today, we look at the way the Angel Gabriel & the Spirit of the Lord were at work in the lives of Mary & her cousin Elizabeth in the Visitation, an important event not only in the lives of these two women, but also in the history of God’s salvation. In many ways, the Angel Gabriel telling the Virgin Mary that her cousin Elizabeth was with child was a prophetic sign validating all that the Angel communicated to Mary in the annunciation. Mary takes off in haste to the mountainous countryside around Jerusalem to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Biblical scholars estimate that it may have taken Mary 2 or 3 days to get there.
As the baby John the Baptist leaps in Elizabeth’s womb in the presence of Mary, Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, announces Mary to be blessed among all women. And how does Mary respond? With a most radical song of joy, the Magnificat. Mary does not speak out of pride or power, but rather out of humility & poverty. She sees herself as a servant who has been looked upon favorably by God in her lowliness. Her song of joy foreshadows the ministry of Jesus, of his love for the poor & the outcasts of the world. The Magnificat contains a radical message of turning the world’s power structure upside down, which is what Jesus proclaimed in his ministry as well.
How do we approach our faith through the lens of the Magnificat, in its message of “scattering the proud in the thoughts of their hearts,” in “filling the hungry with good things, while the rich are sent away empty”?
The Magnificat is a song of joy, that is for sure, and it reflects the joy that both Mary & Elizabeth felt in their visit. It was a visit between two women, one young & the other old, who both received a treasure from God in a very life-altering, radical, miraculous way. By sharing this treasured moment from God with each other, perhaps they are able to break through any feelings of fear or isolation that may have been lingering in their minds. They share this moment together that so influences the history of salvation, & in many ways, this act of sharing, this act of community, helps God’s graces work in their lives & in the lives of so many to follow.
Mary is the Theotokos, the God-bearer, which is reflected in her profound, radical song of joy. Yet, at the heart of the Visitation, is a humble young woman going to the aid of her cousin Elizabeth, & receiving aid & support in return.
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